Charter/Fractional private jet market share grows to 54.3%

Part 135 and 91k operators in North America – shared jets – clocked a record 2,699,184 flight hours in 2021, a 64% increase from 2020 and 24% above 2019, according to Argus TraqPak.

The share of flight hours by fractional and charter operators continued its decade-long climb, accounting for 54.3% of 2021 North American private jet flight hours, up from 43.7% in 2012

Moreover, fractional and charter operators continued to gain a more significant share in the overall private aviation market.

Part 91k and 135 flights accounted for 54.3% of the industry’s 2,273,322 hours, increasing 2.3 share points year-over-year and 5.8 share points since 2019.

It continues a 10-year trend. 

In 2021, shared private jets flew just 43.7% of the industry's total hours.

It marks a shift towards floating fleets, jet cards, memberships, and fractional ownership more recently.

Charter/Fractional and Total Flight Hours (2007 – 2021)

Year	Total Industry Hours	Charter & Fractional Hours	% Share
2007	4,717,848	2,086,487	44.2%
2008	4,278,020	1,894,910	44.3%
2009	3,531,151	1,536,486	43.5%
2010	3,764,205	1,655,876	44.0%
2011	3,776,004	1,655,788	43.9%
2012	3,800,140	1,662,474	43.7%
2013	3,812,905	1,749,005	45.9%
2014	3,923,290	1,812,002	46.2%
2015	4,030,915	1,858,952	46.1%
2016	4,183,472	1,948,354	46.6%
2017	4,415,602	2,144,685	48.6%
2018	4,446,777	2,161,369	48.6%
2019	4,506,275	2,184,958	48.5%
2020	3,155,211	1,641,516	52.0%
2021	4,972,506	2,699,184	54.3%

It also shows how the industry is getting greener.

Private jets that fly under Part 135 – charter – and 91k – fractional – are shared by multiple users. Fractional jets have as many as 16 owners. Charter jets carry hundreds of different clients.

In other words, all the carbon emissions from the materials and processes used to manufacture a private jet are amortized across numerous users rather than a single owner.

While a green focus may not drive the trend, it does add that benefit.

Whether the Covid gains hold up in 2022 remains a big question. While corporate flight departments were on a slower recovery track, Part 91 activity is expected to see a strong rebound in 2022.

While Part 91 aircraft often fly fewer than 200 hours per year, private jets in floating fleets often clock over 1,000 flight hours.